As the core component of the nation's strategic scientific and technological forces, leading technology enterprises bear the critical mission of overcoming key core technologies and achieving high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology. However, at present, China's leading technology enterprises still encounter challenges such as a high degree of reliance on foreign core technologies and an imbalance between "scale expansion" and "quality breakthrough." Moreover, the traditional single knowledge search mode struggles to address the nonlinear evolution characteristics of the technical system, which may lead to technical breakthroughs being trapped in the predicament of "inefficient lock-in." In this context, constructing a diversified knowledge search paradigm of "endogenous breakthrough - exogenous activation," integrating internal knowledge reserves with external cross-domain knowledge flows, has become a pivotal pathway to empower the breakthrough of key core technologies for leading technology enterprises.

This study focuses on leading technology enterprises. By referencing relevant policy documents and research to define the research subjects, it systematically investigates the influence mechanism of multi-knowledge search on the breakthroughs of their key core technologies, yielding the following core conclusions:(1) The impact of diversified knowledge search on the breakthrough of key core technologies in leading technology enterprises exhibits differentiated characteristics. Both internal knowledge search and external technical knowledge search demonstrate an inverted U-shaped relationship with breakthroughs in key core technologies. External market knowledge search and talent-embedded knowledge search significantly promote technological breakthroughs. (2) Breakthrough willingness positively moderates the promoting effects of the three external knowledge searches (market, technology, and talent embedding) on technological breakthroughs but negatively moderates internal knowledge searches. This suggests that leading technology enterprises need to avoid excessive path dependence while strengthening the integration of external knowledge. (3) Internal knowledge search promotes breakthroughs by delving deeply into specific fields through technical specialization; external market knowledge search identifies demands and expands technical paths using diversified technologies; external technical knowledge search and talent-embedded knowledge search function simultaneously via dual pathways of technical specialization and diversification.

This study elucidates the systematic mechanism by which multi-knowledge search empowers the breakthrough of core technologies in leading technology enterprises, offering significant insights for optimizing enterprise innovation strategies: On the one hand, it is essential to balance internal and external knowledge resources, optimize knowledge search strategies, integrate internal knowledge bases using technologies like big data and artificial intelligence, and simultaneously expand collaboration with universities and research institutions, dynamically adjusting search strategies to maximize the synergy effect of internal and external knowledge. On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen talent-embedded knowledge search. Through a diversified talent introduction, cultivation, and evaluation system, a cross-domain knowledge network should be constructed to provide diverse problem-solving ideas for technological breakthroughs. Additionally, it is crucial to build a learning organization and enhance breakthrough willingness.

The research conclusion not only enriches the theory of innovation search but also provides practical guidance for leading technology enterprises to overcome "bottleneck" technologies and achieve high-level self-reliance and self-strengthening in science and technology.